Friday, December 23, 2005

The Book of Daniel

Coming to NBC's Friday nights someday soon is a very controversial show called 'The Book of Daniel'. The show depicts an Episcopal priest hooked on Vicodin who talks to Jesus--with a gay son and pot-dealing daughter. It is obvious who is most concerned with this series, the conservative Christian community.

Honestly I don't know what to think. I am very curious and will watch an episode or two. I also promise not to use my consumer muscles and boycott products advertised during that hour. Besides the writer Jack Kenny's partner (of 23 years) is loosely related to my wife.

3 Comments:

I'm not only NOT going to boycott what is advertised- I'm going to buy EVERYTHING! j/k

Anyway, I'm with you that I'm curious, and I appreciate the idea that they're trying to make clergy "real" people with "real" problems. I think they might be a little extreme with it (perhaps in order to draw in a bigger audience?), but I'm with you- I will watch and maybe they can work it all out.

Maybe there's a real pastor in the house who can weigh in? Or is he busy breaking another leg on the slopes?

I've just come back from a screening of this show at my local NBC affiliate. It is controversial and insulting on many different levels.

Jesus is portrayed like a hippy, almost a throwback to the sixties and some trite words, as well as bad theology are put into his mouth - like: "life is hard - that's why there's a nice reward at the end of it for everyone."

All the Christians in the show are totally dysfunctional, which will please all those anti-Christian folks who love to sneer at people of faith. Bible quotes are squashed by the bishop, who says don't quote the scriptures at me.

Incest, pre-marital sex, and even some hints of euthenasia are portrayed. Catholic nuns are called gossips; a Catholic priest has mafia connections, and in his sermon, the episcopalian priest says temptation is good and that good depends upon evil.

Finally, the one black character in the first episode plays - guess what? - a housemaid, which demeans African-Americans. practically every other white character around her is rich, wealthy and successful.

Oh and by the way, the dialogue and script is terrible too.

So, I guess all the hype was true after all, and that in this case, Christian boycotters were right.